Cranberry-Lime Shrub Sparkler

Popular in colonial times, a shrub is a sweetened fruit and vinegar syrup. It’s mainly used as a drink mixer, as in this recipe, but you can also use it to brighten a pan sauce for chicken or pork, to boost the flavor of a viniagrette, or to add some zing to whipped cream for a unique dessert topping.

Ingredients

For the shrub

12 oz. (3 cups) cranberries,rinsed and picked over

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup Champagne or white wine vinegar

1 strip lime zest (1/2 x 2 inches)

For the sparklers

1 cup seltzer, tonic water, or sparkling cider

1 fl. oz. vodka (optional)

Nutritional Information

Nutritional Sample Size 1 Tbs. of the shurb

Calories (kcal) : 15

Fat Calories (kcal): 0

Fat (g): 0

Saturated Fat (g): 0

Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0

Monounsaturated Fat (g): 0

Cholesterol (mg): 0

Sodium (mg): 0

Carbohydrates (g): 4

Fiber (g): 0

Protein (g): 0

Preparation

Make the shrub

In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, vinegar, and lime zest with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the cranberries are completely broken down, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Purée with an immersion blender. Strain through a fine sieve set over a large bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

Make the sparklers

Per drink, combine 3 to 4 Tbs. of the chilled shrub with cold seltzer (and vodka, if you like).